


It's Time For Mistletoe And Holly (2020)

by IvanW



Series: Ivan's K/S Holiday Collection [27]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Christmas, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Getting Together, Holidays, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Light Angst, Love, M/M, Nightmares, One Shot, Reference to Mirror Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:08:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28115925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IvanW/pseuds/IvanW
Summary: Two days before Christmas, Jim awakens from a coma.
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock
Series: Ivan's K/S Holiday Collection [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/602863
Comments: 27
Kudos: 156





	It's Time For Mistletoe And Holly (2020)

_“You’re so beautiful. You are. You take my breath away. You always have. You’ve captivated me.”_

_Flames licked up around Spock as he stood there, stoically. He wore no protective suit. There was no escape._

_“And then,” came the same voice. The same soft tone. Deceptively soft. “Then I remember how evil you are. How absolutely horrifically despicable. How my blood that burns for you runs cold when I think of all the things you’ve done. And then I have no trouble at all letting you burn.”_

_Under Spock’s feet the ground gave way, the lava of the volcano compromising it and the Vulcan standing there. Spock’s blank expression gave way to anguish and terror._

_A scream._

Jim jolted awake, lungs seizing spasmodically.

“Easy. Easy. Breathe, Jim. Breathe.”

A hypo was pressed into his neck, but Jim continued to struggle for breath, his lungs burning from the effort. He was dying all over again, his lungs damaged irreparably from the radiation.

“ _Breathe_.”

Jim shook his head, but then at last the burning eased, and he seemed to finally get a lungful of air.

“Better?”

Jim looked at Bones. His eyes were stinging from tears, whether from not being able to breathe or the nightmare, Jim didn’t know. Maybe both.

“Not sure,” he managed to get out, but the words seemed more difficult than they should be.

“Nightmare?”

He nodded. “Bad.”

Bones pulled a lever and Jim sat up straighter in the biobed. Yeah. Okay. That answered at least one question.

“How long have I been in the medbay?”

“Just about two weeks.” Bones grimaced. “It was touch and go at first. With the previous damage done to your lungs, while we repaired much of that, the radiation still weakened them to the point we couldn’t repair everything, so when you inhaled the toxins on Hadley 5, your lungs reacted badly.” Bones smiled a little. “To say the least.”

Jim returned the smile or at least he thought he did. He looked around the medbay, taking in the silver and gold bells and all the holly. Replicated, of course. But Jim didn’t fail to notice Bones was the only medical staff he spotted.

“Where is everyone?”

“It’s two days before Christmas. They’re at the holiday party.”

“Wow. I’ve missed a lot. How’s—”

“Spock’s fine. No damage to those Vulcan lungs. He’s been in and out of here constantly. Uhura talked him into attending the holiday party though.”

Jim smiled faintly, amused Bones automatically thought he was asking about Spock. Too transparent apparently. He shook his head. “I meant the ship. How’s the ship?”

“Oh, that’s fine too. We’re rather in a holding pattern while you recuperate. I’m actually supposed to let Spock know when you wake up, so…”

Jim grabbed for his arm and stopped him from moving away. “No, wait. Let him enjoy the party for a bit. I’m okay here.”

“All right. You want some eggnog?”

“Am I allowed?”

“It’s not spiked. You’re okay to have a few sips.” Bones stepped over to the medbay replicator and returned a moment later with a small cup of eggnog. “Ho ho ho.”

“Thanks, Doc.”

Bones studied him. “Nightmare from the time you were in the mirror universe?”

Jim grimaced.

A few months back he’d accidentally ended up in a very warped universe with replicates of themselves. Him included. He’d been captured, tortured, and seen a lot of things he wanted desperately to forget. Bones and a few others had been trying to convince him to talk to a counselor, but Jim had been reluctant.

“Uh-uh,” he admitted. Took a sip of the eggnog.

“From things you actually witnessed?”

Jim’s gaze slid away from Bones. “Yes.”

“Jim, you should…”

“Not now, Bones. Maybe at some point.”

“Jim…”

“Let it go, please. For now.”

“All right, but this isn’t over, Jim. You went through something terrible.”

“I know and I went through all the tests after and they determined I was fit for command.” Jim took another drink. “Sorry I missed the party.”

Bones smiled and patted Jim’s arm. “I know you are. You were looking forward to it.”

“Yep, some R and R. Guess I got this forced form. How long am I staying?”

“If you behave yourself and do everything I tell you, I think you can be dismissed from here and confined to your quarters by Christmas.”

Jim rolled his eyes. “Such kindness.”

“I know. I’m a classic example of kindness for sure,” Bones cracked. “I’d like you off another forty-eight hours once there. Then I think you can return to duty.”

“Okay,” Jim said softly.

“Must have scared you pretty good for you to be so willing to do as I say without argument.”

“Yeah, well, Merry Christmas.” Jim laughed. It hurt a little, honestly, but it could have been a lot worse.

Bones took the now empty cup from Jim. “You rest some. Get some real sleep and I’ll be by to check on you later.”

“You don’t want to go to the party?”

“Nah, I’d rather monitor you. And I wanted everyone else to enjoy it. They deserve the break.” Bones grinned. “Scotty was going to dress up as Santa and Keenser is gonna be an elf.”

Jim chuckled. “Sorry I’m missing it.”

“No doubt there will be bribery videos.” Bones winked and walked away leaving Jim to sleep.

He guessed. Not that he wanted to.

And yet he found himself yawning and nodding off soon enough.

***

Jim opened his eyes, thankfully without the drama of before, to Spock leaning over him. He had a piece of holly in his hair.

“Do you know you have…?” He pointed.

Spock straightened and nodded. “Yes. Nyota put it there.”

Jim stared at Spock. “Are you wearing an ugly Christmas sweater?”

Spock looked down at the bright blue sweater he wore that had been adorned with a rather garish menorah. “Technically it’s an ugly Hanukkah sweater.”

Jim smiled. “Uhura?”

Spock nodded, looking quite resigned. “Indeed.”

“I didn’t want you to have to leave the holiday party.”

“It was not something I wished to attend anyway. I only did to make Nyota happy as she believed that I needed the break.”

“She was probably right.”

Spock moved closer. “I would rather be here and I am sorry I was not when you awakened. McCoy informed me it was not an easy awakening.”

“No,” Jim agreed. “I couldn’t breathe at first and had a bitch of a nightmare.”

Spock didn’t say anything for a while. Just looked at Jim with those soulful dark eyes while Jim tried to forget another set of soulful dark eyes that winked out before Jim’s own.

Spock then reached for Jim’s hand and grasped it in his, warmth curing around the palm.

“I am here.”

“I know.” And if his voice broke a bit, who could blame him.

“Before your unfortunate experience on Hadley 5, we were about to change the parameters of our relationship.”

Jim smiled.

“Can I infer from your smile that nothing has changed in that regard?”

“Everything has changed, Spock.” Jim squeezed Spock’s hand. “I no longer even want to think about going slow, taking our time, none of that. I don’t want to waste our chance, Spock. Whatever you want, a link, a bond, a marriage, I’m completely onboard.”

Spock gave him a very rare smile. And then he held out a twig.

Jim laughed. “Mistletoe too?”

“I do not think at all that we need a hemiparasitic plant to enjoy a kiss, however, in keeping with the occasion, it did seem appropriate.”

Spock held it over Jim’s head and leaned down to softly kiss him.

“Best kiss under the mistletoe ever,” Jim murmured.

Spock set the twig aside and sat on the edge of Jim’s bed.

“Don’t want to go back to the party?”

Spock shook his head. “Not remotely. I am…what was the song I heard there…Christmas-ing with you.”

Jim laughed. “Merry Christmas, Darling.”

“An entirely sentimental song,” Spock replied.

“Holiday songs generally are. But really, I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to socialize with the crew. Bones said Scotty and Keenser were Santa and an Elf.”

“Indeed they were. I sent Doctor McCoy to enjoy some of the party.”

“He let you watch over me?”

“Me and Nurse Lowell. She has returned from the party to see to her duty.”

“Good, glad Bones got to go for a bit.” Jim yawned. “God, I’m sorry.”

“You are still exhausted. You need to sleep, Jim.”

“When I sleep I see…” Jim trailed off, shuddered.

“I will lie beside you and hold you while you sleep and then, perhaps, those nightmares will stay away.”

“You’d do that for me?”

Spock leaned his forehead against Jim’s. “For who else, Ashayam?”

He swallowed the lump in his throat, scooted over on the biobed, and patted the spot he vacated.

Spock slipped in beside him, wrapping strong arms around Jim, who rested his head on Spock’s chest.

“Maybe I’ll have visions of sugar plums dancing in my head instead.”

“Hmm?”

Jim smiled. “Nothing. Thanks. For this. For everything. Most of all for saving me. Yet again.”

“I always will. While I have breath left.”

Jim stiffened, but Spock’s arms tightened, and he let the held breath go. “I love you. I don’t know if I’ve said it, but I do. So much.”

“And I love you. Always and forever.”

“You’ve been listening to too many of those sentimental songs,” Jim joked.

“Indeed. Quite clearly. I need some sort of antidote.”

Jim laughed. It felt good to laugh. And most of all, it felt good to laugh while being with Spock. Being held by Spock.

And yes, as he slept, the nightmares were gone. 


End file.
